


And so we kept dancing

by serraketo



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Molly can observe too, Protective John, Sherlock Is A Bit Not Good, Who leaves a wedding early?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-17 04:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1373860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serraketo/pseuds/serraketo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock thought only Molly saw him leaving the wedding early, but John is much more observant than he thinks...</p>
<p>(The end scene of A Sign of Three from John's perspective. Here be some angst.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	And so we kept dancing

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [THIS](http://prettyarbitrary.tumblr.com/post/80825602953/hiddenlacuna-traumachu-okay-so-i-know-we-all) post on tumblr. My heart broke in that moment, but for John, not Sherlock.

His smile was fading. 

Everyone was right where they were supposed to be. Janine had found her date for the evening, Mrs Hudson was dancing in a strange little triangle with Tom and Molly, Lestrade had managed to befriend one of John's ex-police cousins and was sharing stories of the good old days over a few pints. And Sherlock...

Sherlock was alone in the centre of the dancefloor. 

Right where John had left him. 

_"Well you're hardly going to need me around now that you've got a real baby on the way."_

_John had stared at him, searching for a hint of what the detective was feeling in his eyes. And then he'd smiled, and John had smiled back, because... he couldn't remember a time when Sherlock had smiled like that and he hadn't returned it immediately._

_But there was so much there, so much that was left unsaid._

John started as he came back to himself, still swaying with Mary in his arms. She was watching him with curious, uncertain eyes. "John? Are you alright?"

"No," he muttered as he dropped his hands and stopped dancing. "Where's Sherlock?"

The music faded away from his consciousness as John turned this way and that, checking all corners of the small room, but there's no sign of the Sherlock. He doesn't even know when it starts, isn't aware of his brain issuing any commands, but suddenly he's walking around, asking everyone he bumps into if they've any indication of where Sherlock has gone. 

Then there's Molly. 

John had been over by the bar, describing Sherlock to the barman when she tugs gently on his arm. "John," her voice is low and there's a bit of a waver to it, even under her steady gaze. "I think I saw him leave. He's gone."

He can almost feel his stomach drop out of his belly. "Oh, no..." he whispers, eyes glazing over in the middle distance, visions of Sherlock mocking him from afar. 

Sherlock walking into 221B alone, looking around with a sigh and going straight for his stash. 

Sherlock roaming the dark streets of London to find a reliable dealer.

Sherlock lying in filthy alleyways with members of his homeless network, a needle dangling from his clammy fingers. 

Sherlock Holmes' body, lying on a table in the morgue, ready for tomorrow's mortician to examine it.

"No. No, we've got to go, Molly. This is wrong, this is... _not good_ Molly, let's go."

But she isn't letting go. She's holding him tighter than he could have imagined, rooting him to the spot and she's... she's frowning at him. 

So he pauses. 

This... this isn't Sherlock's scene. He's not into people, or socialising. And certainly not dancing. But he'd suffered through it, all for John. 

All for John.

And then John realises what he's been missing. Sherlock had suffered through months of wedding planning. He's participated in almost every act of _antiquated ridiculousness_ as he'd called it, that the wedding had asked for, performed every single duty as required of the best man, and then some. Sherlock had solved a murder and declared his undying friendship and loyalty to John, all in his own attempt to make John happy. 

Surely, after 2 years of grieving his best friend, after being shot in the desert, after struggling with alcoholic family members and working his way through double shifts to pay for medical school... surely John deserved happiness?

John inhaled deeply, standing himself a little straighter and addressing Molly, "Do you think he'll be okay tonight?"

She smiles weakly. "Y-yes. I'm sure someone will look out for him. I mean-he's got a brother. Mycroft will..." Molly trails off as Mary strides up and looks between them.

Mary, who's skin is radiant with happiness. She's beautiful, standing here in front of him, the mother of his child, and they have a future together. And it's supposed to be good, and safe, and happy, the two of them with their little one, and more little ones to come, he's always wanted three kids to fill his heart with love. 

She is his future, and Sherlock has sacrificed everything for John's future. 

"You alright?" Mary asks again, giving his arm a little rub. John huffs out a little laugh and leans in for a quick kiss to her soft cheek. 

"Yes, love. I just... I'm fine." He smiles and gives her a quick decisive nod. "Come on, back to the dancefloor with you. I didn't learn all these new moves for nothing!"


End file.
